Nu Sells Raw Denim Made in Small, Ethical Factories in Turkey

Anyone who wears jeans knows they range dramatically in price and in quality, but how often do you think about where and how your denim is made? Not every pair is made under the most ethical standards, but companies like Nu jeans are popping up to give shoppers a kinder alternative.

Nu jeans (and Nu boxers) are manufactured under ethical employment conditions in small workshops in Turkey that not only emphasize the fair treatment of people, but also of the planet.

The company was founded in Maxime Guillon and Jean-Philippe Pete in 2007, with the goal to create jeans for both men and women that can last a lot longer than most fast fashion items do today, thus reducing our consumption.

"There is a mere two hundred kilometers between cotton field and production," explains Smile and Save the Planet. "The denim itself is raw—a very rare quality in these days of worn-in, whiskered denim that you can buy off the shelf. It’s these chemical treatments that have devastating effects on the environment, and on the people who are making them. And to emphasize how silly this used-denim trend really is, Jean-Philippe says, 'If you buy a car, you don’t buy one that is a bit broken.'"